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Ninety Days Inside The Empire: A Novel by William Appleman Williams

On Toward Walking the Streets

Page 75

This time an older woman. "Well, who's goin' to do this where? You 'spect Negroes to do this in white parts of town? That's about the silliest thing I ever...."

Griff stood up to answer. "We had lots of talk about that, and got no clear agreement on it. We left it that if you know or work with whites and you think it will work, then do it. Otherwise, no."

"Well, what about whites down here?"

Abbey Mae jumped up; insistent, looking around till she spotted the other woman. "Well, I think most of us is more open-minded than whites...."

There were some objections.

"...Sure, I know, we got some Klan types in Nigger Town, but most of us is willin' to wait and see. Oh, I know, we mostly waitin', but there is folks who help us help usselves. I think we ought to go together in our part of town. Won't do to mix the sexes, but otherwise a Negro with a white helps mor'n it hurts."

"My name's Pete Irving, and I get the idea and think it's pretty good. The Reverend and the others put a lot of thought and work into this. But what if some us, I ain't sayin' I'm one, but what if some of us think old Crown's right-hand man Burton might get us more money and jobs - and anyway he's goin' to win so easy so why get a big red mark 'longside our names?"

Griff and Marsh and Rogers had thought about that matter, but none of them was ready with a quick answer. Neither was Mr. Hank. The momentum of the meeting stalled in an awkward silence. Finally Albert Case stood up and looked over at Irving. They had worked together on many different jobs across the years.

"Now, Pete, you know you ain't goin' to get a thing out of Burton lest you bang him on the back of the knee. That'll make him bend a bit."

He turned toward the chair. "Is it in order for me to offer a motion?"

"Yes, Sir."

"I then move that we invite Mr. Burton and Mr. Clay to come here next Friday night at eight o'clock and present their reasons why we should vote for them."

After the second, by Pete himself, Case amplified his thinking: "Until we corner them right here with no place to run some of us will keep on wonderin'. When it's over anybody wants to go out for Burton can go ask Mr. Crown what he wants them to do."

Mr. Hank: "Question."

The vote was unanimous.

Marsh was not going to quit.

"Well, I'm willing to share and share alike. Up to a point. I suggest we adjourn and work out who's maybe going to knock on whose doors. I've got some numbers here like those on the map and I'll put them on different pews. The we can get together and talk about who is going where."

He started forward to do that when Rogers rose to be recognized. Marsh was surprised. That was not on the agenda. But he sat down to listen. Most others were excited and slid up toward the front of their pews. They knew Rogers as a man who usually did his talking in committees, or privately in small groups, or very rarely after knocking on your door.

"Thank you, Mr. President; and kind of you, Marsh. We'll get back to those numbers and doors."

"I thought I'd talked enough for a month over at the Reverend's and Lette's on Sunday...."

General laughter, easing the edginess.

"But since then I's been thinking and reading and there's some words just want out. You do with 'em what you want."

People slid back in their pews. They knew they were part of a special moment. Run-Run moved down toward the front and sat next to Susan and the Lees.